Caitlin pressed the start button and breathed a sigh of relief as the engines caught and the rotors started to whir.

'Thank you God.' She muttered before she switched it all back off.

She slid back out of the cockpit and went to close the external panel she'd left open by the right turbo. She replaced the armour with a swift efficiency, screwing it down tightly with the electric tool she had taken from the box on the ground. She threw it back in and eyed the section critically in the semi-darkness. It was secure.

There was a rustling noise behind her and she spun around. There was no-one there.

'Hello?' She called cautiously.

No reply.

Silence blanketed the clearing.

Caitlin shrugged away her unease. The clearing was a little spooky in the gathering dark. The trees loomed like grotesque shadows and there were patches where no light seemed to break through the darkness. She shivered and wished she was wearing a coat over the form-fitting lilac uniform. She turned back to the tool box and crouched down to pack it up quickly.

A clattering sound had her rising swiftly. She took a step away from the helicopter into the clearing and peered into the darkness.

No-one was there.

Her heart was beating a little too fast and the hair at the back of her neck stood up in atavistic warning. It was definitely time to leave, she thought. She turned to pick up the tool box and froze.

Kyle Hardy stood between her and Airwolf. He was lounging up against the wing, wearing jeans and a t-shirt along with his cowboy hat. He smiled at her. 'One of the guys said he thought he saw you out here.'

Caitlin made a move towards the cockpit and Kyle countered it.

She took a deep breath and wished she hadn't unholstered her gun; it was lying on the passenger seat in the cockpit. 'I was just about to leave.'

'This is some machine.' Hardy said patting Airwolf.

'Specialised equipment.' Caitlin said. 'I'm sorry but I really have to go.'

'No.' Kyle took a step toward her and she instinctively took one back. 'That's what I like about you, Caitlin. You don't give it up easy.' He reached behind him and she heard the swish of a switchblade clicking into place. Her eyes barely made out the shining metal edge of the blade in his hand. 'You're not like all the other women.'

'You're the rapist.' Caitlin deduced. 'Frank might have killed Toby but you were always the rapist.'

'Rapist is such an ugly word.' Kyle said and his eyes gleamed darkly at her. 'You know you want it.'

'You have a real problem with women saying no to you, don't you, Hardy?' Caitlin took a side-step; he stayed with her. She had to keep him talking, she thought furiously, anything that would give her time to escape or get to Airwolf. 'I'm betting all those girls you raped, they were like me. They didn't want to have sex with you.'

'No. You want to have it, you're just good girls.' Kyle smiled. 'All I ever get are whores; always willing to spread their legs for me but you…you're like the others. You have ethics.'

'And somewhere in your twisted mind, you're giving me what I want?' Caitlin took another step back. 'You're insane. I don't want to have sex with you.'

'Yes, you do.' He took a step toward her.

'No, I don't.' She took a step back.

His eyes were intent on hers and she knew she had very little time left before he would attack. 'What happened Kyle? What happened with Toby? Did he see something?'

'He saw me with one of the girls.' Kyle shook his head. 'He wanted me to stop but he couldn't see this was the only way…then when I had to kill that girl he freaked.'

'Frank knew all along, didn't he?' Caitlin added desperately. 'He tried to stop Toby from telling the police.'

'Frank said he killed Toby by accident but it solved our problem.' Kyle sighed. 'But you had to go and get Frank arrested.'

'You know Frank's going to give you up.' Caitlin said.

'I know.' Kyle gestured. 'But you're going to get me out of here,' he smiled; a flash of white in the dark, 'after we've had some fun.'

'I don't think so.' Caitlin ran.

She'd taken two, three strides when he was on her, throwing her to the ground. She punched him and heard the sound of his nose crunching with satisfaction. She struggled to her feet but he lashed out and she lost her balance.

She hit the grass, landing badly on her hip and she had barely caught her breath when he was on her again. He caught her hands in one of his and smacked her with the other. Her head rang with the force of the blow; he did it again and she felt her vision blur. All her martial arts training, all her police training seemed in vain as he overpowered her with brute strength.

She was still struggling, her breaths coming in sobs as he moved between her legs. She could dimly hear something in the background…engines starting…but her focus was on her fight with the singer as she resisted his efforts to restrain her. He shoved her zipper downwards and ripped at her underclothing. She managed to kick him and he hit her again. His hand left her and she heard the scrape of his zipper. Her struggles became more frantic and she heard a grunt as her knee caught his rib. It earned her a blow to hers that drove the breath from her body. Her body tensed, bracing...

Airwolf screamed across the clearing heading directly at them. Kyle looked up in shock and Caitlin scrabbled away from under him, careful to stay down.

Airwolf hit him and sent him flying across the clearing. She hovered between his unmoving body and Caitlin.

Caitlin pulled her zip up with shaking fingers and got to her feet on legs that weren't quite steady. She took a couple of faltering steps towards Airwolf and the chopper landed on the grass beside her. Caitlin climbed into the cockpit and curled into a ball in the pilot's seat, hugging her middle tightly. Her shocked blue-green eyes remained on the still form of Kyle Hardy. She'd come close to being raped before; in a jail cell by a group of cowboys when she'd first met Hawke; the previous year when a rapist had caught her alone at the airfield but what had just happened…she shuddered. If Airwolf hadn't acted…

She was barely aware of the arrival of the Santini Air chopper which came into land next to Airwolf; of Hawke climbing out before its props were fully on the ground.

Hawke wrenched open Airwolf's door. The light in the cockpit exposed Caitlin's pale bruised face with smudges of blood across her cheeks; her hair fell in disarray around her shoulders, tangled and dirty from the grass. He could see her uniform was ripped at the zip.

He swallowed hard as all his worst fears crawled through his head again. 'Cait?' He reached out a hand to touch her shoulder and his heart seized when she flinched away from him.

Her blue-green eyes focused on his. 'String?'

'It's me, honey.' Hawke didn't know if he should try and touch her again but she was already reaching for him and he held her tightly as she slid from the cockpit and into his arms. She was shaking badly. 'I've got you.'

Michael limped over and raised a questioning eyebrow. Hawke just shook his head. He didn't know.

Dom glanced anxiously at the couple before he made his way over to Kyle. His eyes widened in shock at the terrible mess of the body and the undone clothing. He hurried back to Airwolf.

Hawke eased away from Caitlin and framed her face in his hands. His blue eyes searched hers. 'Cait,' he took a deep breath and forced himself to ask the question, 'did he…?' He found he couldn't complete it.

Caitlin shook her head; tears spilling over onto her cheeks. 'No. He tried though and he almost…' Her voice broke and Hawke stroked a hand down her back as she burrowed into him.

'He's dead.' Dom stated quietly.

'Good.' Hawke bit out. For a brief moment, he wanted Hardy alive again just so he could personally throttle the life out of the man. His wife shifted in his arms and his anger drained away abruptly as his concern for her overrode every other thought.

'He's a mess.' Dom continued.

Caitlin swiped at her face and raised her head from Hawke's shoulder. She met Dom's concerned eyes. 'Airwolf…she hit him right across the clearing.'

'She what?' Michael asked.

'He was…' Caitlin shook her head. 'He had me on the ground and I…I was trapped.'

Hawke's grip on his wife tightened.

'Airwolf came across the clearing.' Caitlin took a hitching breath. 'She caught him at chest level with her nose and he just went…' she gestured at the body, 'flying.'

Dom sighed; it explained why Hardy's torso was caved in. Hawke's eyes flickered to the helicopter; he'd never been so glad that Airwolf was developing some intelligence; her independent action had undoubtedly saved Caitlin from being raped and murdered.

There were shouts and Kelly and the other FBI agents suddenly ran into the clearing. They slowed at the tableau.

'What the hell happened?' The Special Agent asked as one of his men ran to Hardy's body.

The Airwolf team looked at each other. What had happened was going to be difficult to explain.

Michael cleared his throat. 'Caitlin was fixing the helicopter when Hardy attacked her.' Michael said. 'She managed to get away and get to the chopper but Hardy came after her. He got in the way of the machine and…' he gestured at the body.

Kelly's eyes raked over Caitlin's battered appearance. 'Are you alright?'

Caitlin nodded. 'I just want to go home.'

'If you could give me a statement, I would appreciate it.' Kelly said.

'How about tomorrow?' Michael suggested. 'I think she's been through enough for one night.'

Kelly looked as though he was about to argue but then sighed and nodded. 'I'd better get forensics in here.'

Michael nodded. He waited until the FBI agent had moved away before turning back to Hawke and Caitlin. 'You'd better leave now. I'll stay here and make sure they don't ask too many questions.'

'I'll follow you to the Lair.' Dom offered.

'Thanks, Dom.' Hawke helped Caitlin into Airwolf before he took his own seat. He smoothed a hand over the front console. He owed the helicopter a great deal, he thought as he grasped the cyclic and took Airwolf up into the night sky.

The journey home was made in almost total silence. Dom dropped the couple at the cabin with a worried frown on his craggy face. Hawke was unsure what to say so he kept quiet; unsure whether to touch Caitlin so he kept his distance. Guilt ate into him with each silent step into the cabin.

They stood awkwardly in the centre of the living room for a moment.

Caitlin pulled at her torn uniform. 'I need a shower.'

'Take your time,' said Hawke, knowing she needed the shower to wash away more than the dirt. He watched her head up the stairs and the bathroom door closed with a soft click.

He pushed a hand through his short brown hair. How could he make it right? How could he have let it happen? He shuddered. He'd almost lost his wife to assassins the week before and now this…his old fear reached up and choked him. He shook it off. He had to focus on Caitlin; she was alive and more importantly, she would need a lot of support after what she had been through. He set about building a fire and making a meal. He made it back to the bedroom with the first aid kit as Caitlin stepped out of the bathroom.

She was wrapped in a pink bath-towel, her hair hung in a sleek, wet red sliver over her shoulder.

'I brought the first aid kit.' He said needlessly and lifted it.

She shook her head. 'Would you,' her eyes filled with tears again, 'would you hold me? Just for a…'

He gathered her to him before she could finish the question. His chin rested on the top of her head as she buried her face in his chest. She was shaking, tears running noiselessly down her cheeks, seeping into the red flannel shirt he wore. Hawke didn't know how long they stood there but eventually, her trembling stopped.

He stroked a hand down her back. 'I'm so sorry, Caitlin. I should…'

'Don't.' Her voice was raw from crying. She eased back to look at him with pink and swollen eyes. 'It's not your fault. What happened...,' she tried a smile, 'you weren't to know.'

'But…'

Caitlin shook her head. 'No buts. I needed the crying jag but I'm really OK.' She slipped out of his hold. 'I'd better get dressed. I'll meet you downstairs.'

Hawke hesitated considering whether to argue and then nodded his agreement. He was stirring the pot on the stove and was contemplating whether to go back up to the bedroom when Caitlin walked into the kitchen. She had dressed in one of his old shirts over her jeans.

She was still pale; her lower lip was cut and swollen and a bruise was forming across her left cheek but she looked calm.

'How are you doing?' Hawke asked uncertainly.

Caitlin wrapped her arms around his waist. 'Like I said I'm OK.' She eyed the broth he had cooked. She wasn't really hungry, but she knew if she didn't eat, it would deepen the concern in Hawke's blue eyes.

They sat down at the table with bowls filled to the brim and began to eat.

Hawke took a couple of bites and looked across at Caitlin who was listlessly stirring the soup. 'Maybe if you talked about what happened…'

'No.' Caitlin said quickly. She met his eyes firmly. 'Not yet. It's all a little too…too soon. If Airwolf hadn't…' She shook her head. 'She saved my life out there.'

'I don't think I've been so pleased that she's developed some independent control.' Hawke admitted. He stretched out a hand toward Caitlin who slipped her own hand over his. Their fingers tangled.

'Hardy admitted he was the rapist.' Caitlin said.

Hawke nodded.

'It was because I turned him down.' Caitlin rubbed her fingers against his. 'In his head I wanted to have sex with him but I was good and wouldn't. So the only way he could get a good girl was to rape them.' She sighed. 'But his thinking was twisted so badly.'

'He was a creep.' Hawke stated.

'I keep thinking maybe I said something or did something…' Caitlin admitted in a quiet voice, looking at the table.

Hawke felt his heart clench at her words. 'You didn't do anything.' He said gruffly. 'Hardy made it all up in his head. You have to remember that.'

'I know.' Caitlin put her spoon down; the bowl was still full. 'I just can't seem to get it out of my head. It's just replaying like a bad nightmare and he didn't even actually…actually rape me.'

'It's still a hell of a trauma.' Hawke said. 'You're not going to get over it just like that.'

Caitlin sighed. 'I guess not.' Her smile was bittersweet. 'I'm kinda wishing I could go back a couple of days and just have shooting those guys to worry about again.'

'We can get through anything, Cait.' Hawke said. 'That, this. So long as we're together.'

Caitlin slipped out of her chair and went to him. She settled in his lap, their arms around each other. She breathed in the scent of him and snuggled closer. 'I love you.'

'I love you.' Hawke kissed the top of her head. They held each other for a while, taking simple comfort in holding each other.

'You know,' Hawke said eventually, 'it's our anniversary next week.'

'Anniversary?' Caitlin raised her head and looked at him quizzically.

'We'll have been married two months next Tuesday.' Hawke explained.

'Our two month anniversary?' Caitlin smiled. Hawke was surprisingly sweet about things like that. 'You had something planned for that?'

'Well,' Hawke shifted her a little, 'I was thinking we should take some time off. Go away for a few days. Just the two of us.'

Caitlin nodded. 'Sounds good.' She bit her lip. 'Where do you want to go?'

'Why don't I make it a surprise?' Hawke suggested with a gleam in his blue eyes.

Caitlin gave a small laugh. 'OK. Surprise me.' Her fingers played with the buttons on his shirt. 'You're a great husband,' she commented holding his warm blue gaze with her own, 'but I'm telling you now; I'm never buying you another music album ever.'

Hawke smiled and brushed a lock of red hair back over her ear. 'I can live with that.'